Rachel Berry is Nobodys Second
by VerityFrancesB
Summary: Set after Sectionals. Rachel Berry is nobody's second and Puck is no homo thank you very much. Rating for swearing. Puck/Rachel


It doesn't take Puck all that long to find her after she disappears from the music room. Slipping out quietly, so unlike Rachel that it almost scares him, you know, if he wasn't such a bad ass mother fucker. But anyway, she slips out, whilst everyone is cheering and congratulating each other and laughing and ignoring the death stares that Finn is shooting at Quinn.

But he finally finds her, sitting alone on the bleachers, knees up to her chest and her arms wrapped almost protectively around them.

"Noah." She says in way of greeting, making to move and leave. Puck stops her though cos this _thing_ that's been worrying him, well not worrying, but niggling at him for weeks, is kinda annoying now and he really needs to let it out.

"Ok...so don't take this the wrong way, like I have gone soft, and I'm kinda blaming Glee cos I think its made my testosterone not work or something, but...I miss you." He heaves a sigh of relief at finally getting the words out. Rachel cocks her head to one side and studies him.

"You miss me?" She tries the words out and shakes her head, opening her mouth to no doubt shout at him like only Rachel Berry can, not afraid to shout at Noah Puckermann. But Puck just carries on, bolstered by the fact that he's stronger than she is and could easily hold her down while he says what he has to say. No that he would, Berry may make him _want_ to hit her but he never would. His mom bought him up right...to a certain extent anyway.

"I miss your incessant yammering on and I miss your tantrums and during that song we sang at Mr Shue, I forget what it's called, something about sucking..."

"My Life Would Suck Without You?" She offers, pinching the bridge of her nose as if Puck is giving her a headache.

"Yeah...that one." Puck stops and rubs a hand over the back of his neck, feeling embarrassed and shifting endlessly on his feet.

"Well...It kinda got me thinking..."

"Noah...you..." She interrupts again and Puck really wants to hit her now, cos she's annoying and he wants to set himself on fire sometimes just by looking at her but he needs to get this out because they worked together didn't they?

"Just shut up a second ok? It got me thinking and I know I'm not great at thinking, but I'm better than Finn so that's gotta count for something. But my life kinda does suck without you. Its...too quiet." Puck finishes with a small grin, proud at himself for getting it out without too much trouble and without sounding like a complete homo.

"So..." Rachel starts slowly, as if trying to understand. "You want me because I'm noisy?"

"No that's not it."

"Oh so because I'm annoying?"

"No..."

"Noah. I may be single and highly strung, but I am not stupid. I am your second choice and I refuse to be anyone's second choice you hear me?" Rachel pokes one impeccably manicured finger in Puck's chest and whirls around, taking the Rachel Berry Flounce stance that she gets whenever she's about to storm out of a room.

Puck manages to grab hold of her wrist before she gets very far though. No one ever accused Noah Puckermann of having slow reflexes.

"Rachel, would you listen?"

"No. Noah you listen to me. I am not Quinn. I am not Santana. I am not any other Cheerleader or slut that you may hope I am. I am just me and I am not going to be any different."

"Wait. When did this become about me wanting you to be any different?" Puck asks. Suddenly confused. Girls have a habit of doing that to Puck, they are far too complicated. Can't they just be like guys? Simple, settling arguments with a friendly punch or well aimed paintball?

"Since I know that Quinn turned you down, Noah." She looks sad. And small. And Rachel is usually tiny, with her tiny skirts and small hands but now she looks even smaller and Puck wants to cover her all of a sudden.

"No, that's not what this is about. You aren't a second to me Berry. I'm a dick. You said so yourself, but Quinn is pregnant and its mine and I want to do right by her, but its not about her anymore. It was, but its not anymore." Puck doesn't really know where this is going, but if the look on Rachel's face is anything to go by she doesn't believe a word he's saying.

"Just listen ok. You say you don't want to be anyone's second yet you are still holding out for Finn." Rachel opens her mouth to no doubt hit him with another tirade, Puck almost grins at his use of that word, but he just carries on going. "Don't interrupt. You're still holding out for Finn, and you're gonna be his second Berry and you know it."

Puck does what he's been wanting to do since she kissed his forehead in the bathroom after washing his hair, he grabs her, tight and covers her mouth with his own. Its hard, cos she's so small, but he copes by pulling her upwards, till he is sure her toes are just touching the ground, her hands go to his elbows and grip tightly. Ok so that wasn't the only thing he wanted to do when she was sitting in his lap wearing that pathetic excuse for a skirt, her thighs so smooth and tempting, but he thinks Rachel might castrate him if he tries that right now. He pulls away and her eyes are still closed. He does grin then, _still got it Puckermann_, he thinks as she licks her lips.

"Grape." She says quietly and opens her eyes.

"Yeah well I know you like it." He shrugs, at a loss for words at the way she's looking at him, like he's worth it.

"Noah...I'm not still holding out for him."

"I know I gotta change Berry. And I will try I swear, cos I may not be worth it but you are." She looks like she's trying to decide something, her forehead scrunches up and her nose wrinkles, like she's trying to decide whether to sing _Taking Chances_ or _My Heart Will Go On._ (And no, Puck doesn't know either of those sings. At all.) Like she's weighing up the pros and cons in her mind.

If Puck was a homo, which he isn't, thank you very much, he would be worrying now. But there's no need to worry as Rachel finally grins up at him, her tiny soft hands framing her face and kisses him again, once.

"You are worth it Noah." He kisses her again at that, because maybe he is a homo. But you know? He kinda doesn't care anymore.


End file.
